It does not happen too often that we watch a film because my girlfriend wants to see it, but here we have one. It is a documentary about the German painter / sculptor Anselm Kiefer (1945-). The subtitle of the film translates to ‘the rustling of time’.
Kiefer is a modern artist, his work is abstract. As a boy, people noticed his talent, so Kiefer was successful at an early age. Apparently this lead to him buying a large estate in German nature where he produced his work in a large former factory.
Kiefer is a controversial artist who does not shy to refer to the dark pages of Germany’s past. This makes him more beloved abroad than in his own country. Every once in a while Kiefer has a big hit which allows him to buy property elsewhere, usually another former factory area. He ended up in France on a massive estate with multiple buildings and 40 acres of land.
Kiefer’s work is often megalomanous. Gigantic sculpture-type paintings, large halls with bridal dresses, libraries. You see him riding his bike through his estate, working on mobile lifts, etc. Wenders made long, meditative shots of Kiefer’s work which here and there are alternated with interviews. It is not your average documentary. It seems that Wenders tried to capture the atmosphere of Kiefer’s work.
All in all an alright documentary about an artist that appears to be fairly big.
